Psychometric evaluation of the workplace gaslighting scale among Pakistani nurses

Kainat  Asmat; Reza Ghanei  Gheshlagh; Summaira  Nasir; Rukhsana  Perveen; Hamid  Sharif-Nia

doi:10.18502/npt.v13i3.22132

Kainat Asmat Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Shifa Tameer-e-Millat University, Islamabad, Pakistan
Reza Ghanei Gheshlagh Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Research Institute for Health Development, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran
Summaira Nasir Shifa Tameer-e-Millat University, Islamabad, Pakistan
Rukhsana Perveen Faisalabad Institute of Cardiology, Faisalabad, Pakistan
Hamid Sharif-Nia Psychosomatic Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/npt.v13i3.22132

Keywords: gaslighting; nurses; Pakistan; psychometric validation; workplace gaslighting

Abstract

Background & Aim: Gaslighting is a subtle yet harmful form of psychological manipulation, and healthcare environments are particularly vulnerable to such behaviors. Nurses are at increased risk, as gaslighting can undermine confidence, impair performance, and threaten patient safety. This study evaluated the psychometric properties of the Workplace Gaslighting Scale among Pakistani nurses.

Methods & Materials: A cross-sectional psychometric study was conducted with 217 nurses from public and private hospitals in Pakistan. Face, content, construct, convergent, and discriminant validity were assessed, and internal consistency was evaluated using Cronbach’s alpha and McDonald’s omega. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to test model structures, and known-groups validity was examined across demographic and professional subgroups. Analyses were performed using AMOS 26 and Jamovi 2.4.14.

Results: Internal consistency was high for the dimensions of Trivialization (α= 0.906; ω=0.908) and Affliction (α=0.925; ω=0.929). Convergent validity was established (AVE=0.581 and 0.713; CR = 0.905 and 0.926). Due to a very high inter-factor correlation (r=0.92), indicating a lack of discriminant validity, the dimensions were not supported as independent constructs. Instead, a second-order model demonstrated acceptable fit (CFI=0.947, IFI=0.947, CMIN/DF= 3.292), confirming they merge into a single, unified workplace gaslighting construct. Known-groups validity was indicated by higher overall scores among nurses in private hospitals compared to public hospitals (p=0.004) and a positive association with years of experience (p=0.004).

Conclusion: The Workplace Gaslighting Scale demonstrated acceptable reliability and a coherent second‑order factor structure, although certain limitations, including a high RMSEA value and lack of discriminant validity in the first‑order model, indicate that further validation with larger and more diverse samples is needed.